CARAMEL-FILLED CHOCOLATE MOLTEN CAKES
MAKES FOUR 7-OUNCE CAKES
Hot-from-the-oven molten chocolate cake envelops a core of melty caramel, bringing an already luxurious treat to a new level of decadence. A second and third shot of caramel—caramel ice cream, followed by a drizzle of additional caramel—finishes the dish. This flavorful caramel is based on real butter, cream, and sugar; the addition of corn syrup keeps the caramel soft. The caramel is formed into balls and frozen before adding to the batter so it melts slowly as it bakes into the cakes, revealing a sticky-sweet treat when you dig in.
CARAMEL
½ cup corn syrup
1 cup granulated sugar
⅓ cup water
3 tablespoons salted butter
¾ cup heavy cream
CHOCOLATE MOLTEN CAKES
⅓ cup sugar
1 large egg
3 yolks
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter
5 ounces bittersweet chocolate
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
FOR THE CARAMEL
COMBINE the corn syrup, sugar, and water in a medium-sized, heavy-bottomed saucepan and stir gently. Place the pan over medium-high heat and cook the mixture without stirring, lifting the pan and swirling the mixture periodically to ensure the sugar cooks evenly. Once the mixture begins to caramelize and becomes a light amber color, about 8–10 minutes, you may remove it from the heat if the color is to your liking. If you like a darker caramel with an almost burnt flavor, continue to cook the sugar until it reaches a dark amber color.
REMOVE the pot from the heat, add the butter, and stir. Once melted, carefully add the cream, as the mixture may bubble up. The caramel may seize up at this point, but once it is returned to the heat, it will smooth out again. Return the pan to the heat and stir the caramel until smooth. Attach a candy thermometer and cook the caramel until the thermometer reads 240°F. Transfer the caramel to a container, let cool slightly, and place in the refrigerator. Once hardened, create four 2-tablespoon balls of caramel. Grease a small plate with cooking spray or butter and place the balls on the plate. Place the plate in the freezer until the balls are frozen, at least one hour. Periodically check on the balls, rotating them so that they don’t freeze solid to the plate.
FOR THE CHOCOLATE MOLTEN CAKES
PREHEAT the oven to 350°F. Lightly spray four 7-ounce ovenproof ramekins with cooking spray, or lightly grease with butter. Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the sugar, egg, yolks, and vanilla until thick and ribbony, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, melt the butter and chocolate together in a small saucepan over medium heat. Set aside to cool slightly. Remove the bowl from the mixer and gently whisk in the melted butter and chocolate. Gently fold in the flour and salt using a rubber spatula. Divide the batter evenly between the 4 ramekins. Press a frozen caramel ball into each cake and bake for 10–12 minutes, rotating after 5 minutes. Do not overbake. Serve immediately directly from the ramekins.
IF you want to remove the cakes from the ramekins, be warned that the caramel will ooze out of the cakes immediately after the ramekins are removed. To do so, once removed from the oven, let the cakes sit for 1 minute on a wire rack. Then run a paring knife gently around the upper edge of the cakes and invert the cakes onto individual serving plates, leaving the ramekins on top for about 20 seconds more. Lift off the ramekins and serve immediately.
TO PLATE
PLACE cakes, still in their ramekins, on 4 small serving plates. It can be nice to add a scoop of caramel ice cream on the side of this dish and drizzle with any additional caramel.
